Bhagavad-gītā 2.21–22

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verses] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

vedāvināśinaṁ nityaṁ ya enam ajam avyayam kathaṁ sa puruṣaḥ pārtha kaṁ ghātayati hanti kam [Bg 2.21]

[O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, unborn, eternal and immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?]

vāsāṁsi jīrṅāni yathā vihāya navāni gṛhṅāti naro 'parāṅi tathā śarīrāṅi vihāya jīrṅāny anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī [Bg 2.22]

[As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.]

[break] [leads chanting of synonyms to Bg 2.21]

veda—in knowledge; avināśinam—indestructible; nityam—always; yaḥ—one who; enam—this (soul); ajam—unborn; avyayam—immutable; katham—how; saḥ—he; puruṣaḥ—person; pārtha—O Pārtha (Arjuna); kam—whom; ghātayati—hurts; hanti—kills; kam—whom.

[03:23]

Translation: "O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, unborn, eternal and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?"

[leads chanting of synonyms to Bg 2.22]

vāsāṁsi—garments; jīrṅāni—old and worn out; yathā—as it is; vihāya—giving up; navāni—new garments; gṛhṅāti—does accept; naraḥ—a man; aparāṅi—other; tathā—in the same way; śarīrāṅi—bodies; vihāya—giving up; jīrṅāni—old and useless; anyāni—different; saṁyāti—verily accepts; navāni—new sets; dehī—the embodied.

[04:37]

Translation: "As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones."

Prabhupāda: So this is another way of convincing that... Very simple thing. Anyone can understand. Vāsāṁsi jīrṅāni yathā vihāya. As our garment, coats and shirts, when they are old, rotten, no more usable, so we throw it away and get a new garment, shirt, coat, similarly, the soul is changing garment from childhood, from babyhood. Just like a baby has got a shoe, but when he gets the child's body, the shoe does not fit; you have to take another shoe. Similarly, when the same child grows or changes body, he requires another shoe. Similarly, the soul is changing his body exactly as we change our garments, vāsāṁsi jīrṅāni. Jīrṅāni means when it is old enough, not fit for use, yathā vihāya, as we give it up... Vihāya means give it up. Navāni, new garment. Naraḥ aparāṅi gṛhṅāti.

Now the body has been compared herein as the garment, just like coat and shirt. The tailor cuts the coat according to the body. Similarly, this material body, if it is shirt and coat, then this is cut according to the spiritual body. The spiritual body is not nirākāra, without form. If it is without form, then how the garment, the coat and shirt, has got hands and legs? It is common sense. The coat has got hand or the pant has got legs because the person who is using the coat, he has got hands and legs.

So this proves that the spiritual body is not impersonal. It is not a zero; it is..., it has got form. But the form is so minute, aṅor aṅīyān mahato mahīyān [Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.20]:

[Greater than the greatest, smaller than the smallest.]

one form is lesser than the atom. Aṅor aṅīyān mahato mahīyān. Two forms are there, spiritual. One is the Supreme Lord's form, virāḍ-rūpa, mahato mahīyān, and our form, aṅor aṅīyān, lesser than the atom. That is stated in the Kaṭha Upaniṣad. Aṅor aṅīyān mahato mahīyān ātmāsya jantor nihito guhāyām. Nihito guhāyām. Guhāyām means in the heart. Both of them are there. Now find out modern science. Both the soul and the Supersoul, they are situated within the heart. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe [Bg 18.61], there is.

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

It is not said that "Anywhere in the body it is sitting." No. Hṛd-deśe: in the heart. And actually, by medical science, the heart is the center of all activities of the body—office—and the brain is the manager. The director is there, Kṛṣṅa.

He says also in another place, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ. Everything is clear. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ, "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Find out God, find out Kṛṣṅa. In several places, all Vedic literature, guhāyām. Guhāyām means in the heart. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

The supreme director, Kṛṣṅa, is sitting there, and He is directing, "Now this living entity wants to fulfill his desire in this way." He's giving direction to the material nature, "Now, prepare a vehicle, body, for this rascal in this way. He wants to enjoy. All right, let him enjoy." This is going on.

We are all rascals, we are manufacturing our different ways of life: "I think." So you are thinking. As soon as you are thinking... But we cannot fulfill our desires without sanction of God. That is not possible. But because we are persisting, that "I want to fulfill my desire in this way," Kṛṣṅa is sanctioning, "All right." Just like a child persists to possess something. The father gives, "All right, take it." So all these bodies we are getting, although by the sanction of the Supreme Lord, but He is sanctioning with reluctance, that "Why this rascal is wanting like this?" This is our position. Therefore, at last Kṛṣṅa says, sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg 18.66]:

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

"Give up this rascaldom, 'I want this body, I want that body, I want to enjoy life in this way'—give up all this nonsense."

So here in the Vedic literatures we'll find that both the Lord and the living entity, they are situated in the heart. The living entity, jīva, is desiring, and the master is sanctioning, and the prakṛti, or the material nature, is giving the body: "Here is the body ready, sir. Come here." Therefore the original cause of our entanglement or liberation is our desire, as we are desiring. If we want..., if we desire to become freed from this implication of birth, death, old age and disease, it is ready. And if we want to continue this implication, change of body, vāsāṁsi jīrṅāni... Because you cannot enjoy spiritual life in this material body. You can enjoy this material world with this material body. And if you want to enjoy spiritual life, then you have to enjoy in spiritual body.

But as we have no information of the spiritual life, spiritual enjoyment, we are simply desiring to enjoy this world, punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām [SB 7.5.30],

[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṅa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.]

chewing the chewed. The same sex, the same man and woman they are enjoying at home. The same again go to the naked dance. The object is the same, sex, here or there. But they are thinking, "If I go to the theater or naked dancing, it will be very enjoyable." So it is called punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām, chewing the chewed. The same sex life at home, chewing, and go to the naked club, chewing. Chewing the chewed. There is no rasa.

There is no humor, mellow; therefore they are disappointed. Because the thing is the same. Just like you chew one sugarcane and take out the juice, and again if you chew, then what you will get? But they are so dull-headed, so rascal, they do not know. They are trying to get the, I mean to say, pleasure which is already enjoyed, which is already tasted. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām. Adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām. A human being... You'll find that when the dogs, they have sex life, they have no shame. So, many lusty people stand there and see. Seeing means they are willing, "If I could enjoy in the street like this." And sometimes they do. This is going on. Punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṅānām [SB 7.5.30]. Yan maithunādi gṛhamedhi sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45].

[Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhīs, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṅas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṅas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.]

So this materialistic life means sex life. Very, very abominable, tuccham. If anyone has understood this, then he's liberated. But if..., when one is still attracted, then it is to be understood that there is still delay in liberation. And one who has understood and has left it, even in this body he's liberated. He's called jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate.

īhā yasya harer dāsye karmaṅā manasā girā nikhilāsv apy avasthāsu jīvan-muktaḥ sa ucyate [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.2.187]

[One who engages in the transcendental service of the Lord in body, mind and word is to be considered liberated in all conditions of material existence.]

So how we can become free from this desire? Īhā yasya harer dāsye: if you simply desire to serve Kṛṣṅa, then you can get out. Otherwise, not. That is not possible. If you desire anything else except the service of the Lord, then māyā will give you inducement, "Why not enjoy this?" Therefore Yāmunācārya says,

yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravinde nava-nava-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smaryamāne bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

Yad-avadhi, "Since the time," mama cetaḥ, "I have engaged my life and soul, my consciousness, in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa..." This verse is given by Yāmunācārya. He was a great king, and kings, they are generally licentious, but he became later on a saintly devotee. So his personal experience he is saying, that "Since I have engaged my mind in the service of the lotus feet of Kṛṣṅa...," yad-avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṅa-padāravinde. Nava-nava. And service, spiritual service means every moment new. It is not hackneyed.

Those who are spiritually realized, they will find to serve Kṛṣṅa means new enlightenment. New enlightenment. Nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyataṁ rantum āsīt. Here in this material world, you enjoy, it becomes hackneyed. Punaḥ punaś carvita [SB 7.5.30].

[Prahlāda Mahārāja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Kṛṣṅa are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.]

Therefore you are disappointed. But if you engage yourself in the service of Kṛṣṅa, you'll find new and new encouragement. That is spiritual. If you find it hackneyed, then you must know that you are not yet serving spiritually, you are serving materially. Formality, stereotype. But if you feel new and new energy, then you know that you are serving spiritually. This is the test. Your enthusiasm will increase, not decrease.

So the test is within our hand. If during maṅgala-ārati we feel laziness, that means I'm not yet spiritually advanced. And if one feels enthused, "Now it is time for maṅgala-ārati. Let me stand up, let me do this," then it is spiritual. Anyone can test. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra syāt [SB 11.2.42].

[Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things—these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating.]

Bhakti means spiritual. So as soon as you are touched with the Supreme Spirit, viraktir anyatra syāt: no more enjoyment in this material world.

So Kṛṣṅa is there. Kṛṣṅa is also sitting within the heart, and I am also sitting within the heart, just like two friends on the same bar. This is also described in the Upaniṣad. Samāne vṛkṣe puruṣo nimagnaḥ [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 3.1.2, Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 4.7]. They are sitting equally, on the same level. Nimagnaḥ. The one bird is eating the fruit of the tree, or the jīva soul, the living entity, he is making his fruitive action. Kṣetra-jña.

These are all described. Kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi māṁ viddhi sarva-kṣetreṣu bhārata [Bg 13.3], the owner and the occupier. I am the occupier of this body, and the owner is Kṛṣṅa. Therefore, Kṛṣṅa's another name is Hṛṣīkeśa. Hṛṣīkeśa. So He is actually owner of my hand and leg and eyes, everything, all my senses. I am simply occupier. I'm not owner. That we have forgotten. Just like if you are in a rented apartment, you are occupier. You are given the license to occupy the room. You are not owner. But if you think that you are owner, that is stena eva sa ucyate [Bg 3.12].

[In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajña [sacrifice], supply all necessities to man. But he who enjoys these gifts, without offering them to the demigods in return, is certainly a thief.]

Immediately he becomes wrongly guided.

So take it, this body or the country or the nation or the world or the universe, nothing belongs to you. The owner is Kṛṣṅa. The owner is sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg 5.29].

[The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.]

Kṛṣṅa says, "I am the owner." So mistake is that we do not know the owner, and we are, although we have occupied, improperly using our occupation. That is material condition. Improper. Otherwise, the direction is there, the director is sitting there. He's always helping you. But the disease is that we are claiming to be owner and want to act according to my whims, and that is material condition. My business is to work for the owner, not for me. Therefore, that is my position, constitu...

Kṛṣṅa has created me... Not creation, but along with Kṛṣṅa we are all there. But we are eternal servants. Just like along with this body, the finger is also born. The finger is not differently born. When I was born, my fingers were born. Similarly, when Kṛṣṅa was there... Kṛṣṅa was never born; then we are also never born. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg 2.20]. Very simple philosophy. Because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa. If Kṛṣṅa is born, then I am born. If Kṛṣṅa is not born, then I'm..., I am not born. Kṛṣṅa is aja, so we are also aja. Ajam avyayam. Kṛṣṅa is imperishable, immutable.

We are also immutable, because we are part and parcel of God. So why the part and parcels are there? Why my hand is there? Because I require it. I require the assistance of my hand, I require the assistance of my finger. It is necessary. The rascals say, "Why God created us?" Rascal, it is necessary. Because He is God, He wants your service. Just like big man, he keeps so many servant. If some rascal inquires, "Why you are keeping so many servants?" And "Because I am big man, I want." Simple philosophy. Similarly, if God is the supreme authority, then He must have so many assistants. Otherwise, how He will manage?

So whole universe is being managed by God's assistant, according to the Brahmā, the most powerful assistant. Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ [SB 1.1.1]. In the Brahmā's heart also, tene brahma hṛdā, hṛdā. Again hṛdā. Because Brahmā was alone, so what to do? Brahmā was perplexed. But Kṛṣṅa gave instruction, "You do, you create this universe like this." Buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam, "I give intelligence." So everything is there. Everything is there. Kṛṣṅa is always with you. If you want to go back to home, back to Godhead, then Kṛṣṅa is ready to give you all instruction: "Yes, yena mām upayānti te." He gives instruction, "Yes, you do like this. Then you will finished, your this material business, and after giving up this body, you'll come to Me."

But if you want to continue this material existence, then vāsāṁsi jīrṅāni yathā vihāya [Bg 2.22], you have to accept one body; and when it is no more usable, then you have to give up this body and accept another body. This is continuation of material existence. But if you want to end it—if you are actually disgusted with this kind of business, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate [Bg 8.19], take birth once, again die, again take... But we are so shameless and so rubbish that we are not very much disgusted with this business. We want to continue, and therefore Kṛṣṅa is also ready: "All right, you continue." That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yantrārūḍhāni māyayā.

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg 18.61]

[The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.]

Very clear. Kṛṣṅa knows your desire, that if you want still to enjoy this material world, "All right, enjoy."

So for enjoying different kinds of enjoyment, we require different kinds of instrument. So Kṛṣṅa prepares you, so kind: "All right." Just like the father gives a toy, the child wants a motorcar. "All right, take a toy motorcar." He wants a engine, he wants to become a railway man. Now these kinds of toys were there. Similarly, Kṛṣṅa is supplying these toy bodies. Yantra, yantra means machine. This is a machine. Everyone understands this is a machine. But who has supplied the machine? The machine is supplied by nature, material ingredients, but it is prepared under the order of Kṛṣṅa. Mayādhyakṣeṅa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg 9.10].

[This material nature is working under My direction, O son of Kuntī, and it is producing all moving and unmoving beings. By its rule this manifestation is created and annihilated again and again.]

"Prakṛti, nature, is preparing all these things under My direction."

So where is the difficulty to understand Kṛṣṅa consciousness? Everything is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. If you diligently study and try to understand, you remain fully Kṛṣṅa conscious always. Everything is there: what is my position, how I am working, how I am dying, how I am getting body, how I am wandering. Everything in detail is there. Simply one has to become little intelligent. But we remain unintelligent, rascal, because we are associating with rascals—these rascal philosopher, religionists, avatāra, bhagavān, svāmī, yogīs and karmīs. Therefore we have become rascals. Sat-saṅga chāḍi kainu asate vilāsa [Gaurā Pahu 3].

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura therefore regrets that "I gave up the association of the devotees. I simply associate with these all rascals." Asat, asat-saṅga. Te kāraṅe lāgile mora karma-bandha-phāṅsa: "Therefore I have become entangled in this repetition of birth and death." Te kāraṅe. "So give up this." Cāṅakya Paṅḍita also says, tyaja durjana-saṁsargam, "Give up the association of these rascals." Bhaja sādhu-samāgamam, "Only associate with devotees." This will be the right.

We are establishing different centers not for sense enjoyment, but for good association of devotees. If we miss this, those who are working, those who are managers of this institution, they must always know that we cannot make this institution or this center as a brothel. There must be such management and such arrangement that we must have always good association for advancement. That is required.

Thank you very much. [end]